NPP versus Deceiving, Out-of-Control NDC – Numbers Don’t Lie

It is official now. The deceiving, out-of-control NDC has presided over the most corrupt administration in Ghana since Transparency International (TI) began tracking perceptions of corruption worldwide using its Corruption Perception Index (CPI). As the two leading political parties in Ghana trade accusations of corruption, it makes sense to consult a neutral body that focuses on the vice. And by far, Ghana’s worst showing on the global index was between 1998 and 2001. Since then, Ghana has been steadily improving her rankings through 2008.

“The annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), first released in 1995, is the best known of TI’s tools. It has been widely credited with putting TI and the issue of corruption on the international policy agenda. The CPI ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.” http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi. And by the way, TI is not run by an NPP sympathizer.

Although Transparency International began publishing the CPI in 1995, Ghana was included, as were many other nations much later. Ghana’s debut on the index was in 1998 when she ranked number 55 among 85 countries for a percentile ranking of 64.7. That means of all the countries on the index for that year, 64.69% ranked better or were perceived by experts as being less corrupt. By this percentile ranking method, the lower the percentile ranking, the less corrupt. On the other hand, an improvement in the total score represents an improvement in positive perceptions with regard to corruption.

Ghana’s ranking from 1998 to 2008 is as follows:

1998 – 55 of 85 countries for 64.7 percentile – total score (33%) 1999 – 63 of 99 countries for 63.6 percentile – total score (33%) 2000 – 52 of 90 countries for 57.8 percentile – total score (35%) 2001 – 59 of 91 countries for 64.8 percentile – total score (34%) 2002 – 50 of 102 countries for 49 percentile – total score (39%) 2003 – 70 of 133 countries for 52.6 percentile – total score (33%) 2004 – 64 of 145 countries for 44.1 percentile – total score (36%) 2005 – 65 of 158 countries for 41.1 percentile – total score (35%) 2006 – 70 of 163 countries for 42.9 percentile – total score (33%) 2007 – 69 of 179 countries for 38.5 percentile – total score (37%) 2008 – 67 of 180 countries for 37.2 percentile – total score (39%)

What is more impressive about Ghana’s improvement in her overall score from 33% to 39% from 1998 to 2008 is that since attitudes take so long to either improve or deteriorate, the CPI recorded little or no dramatic improvements or deterioration. For example, during the same span of eleven years between 1998 and 2008, United Kingdom went from 87% to 77%. South Africa dropped from overall score of 52% to 49%, and United States dropped from 75% to 73%. Other countries dropping their total scores from 1998 to 2008 include Botswana (61% to 58%) and Brazil (40% to 35%). Only Japan made a quantum leap from a total score of 58% in 1998 to 73% in 2008.

The Public Relations Committee of NPP-USA, out of respect for the dignity of Ghanaians will endeavor to present facts where the deceiving, out-of-control NDC hurls wild and baseless accusations. The fact remains that based on independent perception of corruption in Ghana, in 1998 under the deceiving, out-of-control NDC government of J.J. Rawlings, Ghana had a total score of 33%, and was ranked more corrupt than 64.69% of all the countries ranked. In contrast, by the end of the NPP administration of J. A. Kufuor, Ghana had improved her score to 39% and ranked behind only 37.19% of all the countries ranked.

Now these numbers are almost certain to regress based on their first seven months in office. Instances of corruption in the public sectors have skyrocketed. In seven months, we have witnessed “Muntakagate,” “Mumunigate,” Ayariga’s “Tractorgate,” $1 million purportedly spent on President Obama’s trip, “deaf” footballers to Australia, billion cedis of “tea” and “chichinga,” and the list goes on. During eight years of the NPP government, instances of high profile public sector corruption, true or not, spread out to be roughly once every eight months. Today, with the deceiving, out-of-control NDC, they occur at least once a month.

Numbers indeed do not lie so we call upon the deceiving, out-of-control NDC to desist from lying to Ghanaians about the record of the NPP administration and set the record straight, because Ghanaians deserve accurate information to help them in making their decisions as to who gets to run our beloved country. The deceiving, out-of-control National Destruction Congress aka NDC, have fooled Ghanaians for far too long. What they fail to understand is that they are underrating Ghanaians’ intelligence by feeding them blatant lies everyday in the hopes that they will continue to believe them.